Transcript for Gabrielle Union opens up about experience as a rape survivor

The silence in Hollywood now shattered. Last night, Reese Witherspoon adding her voice to the chorus denouncing what is being called a culture of sexual abuse. At a women in Hollywood event the actor and producer revealing this explosive secret saying she feels true disgust at the director who assaulted me and anger at the agents and producers who made me feel that silence was a condition of my employment. Witherspoon's personal and painful account follows dozens of women coming forward with sexual assault and harassment against Harvey Weinstein. Then he comes back out. He starts massaging my neck. I said no a million times. And he exposed himself. Those stunning allegations lifting the vaeil on a dark reality prompting millions around the globe in a me too campaign. A series of tweets writing, sexual or physical violence, harassment, demeaning language is not the price one should pay for seeking or maintaining employment. Period. This morning Gabriella dressed the idea of me, too on, gma. I've been talking about being a sexual assault survivor for over two decades now. With the goal of never having to hear me too. Ever again. While Hollywood is now grappling with an ugly truth, accusations of sexual assault are something Gabrielle confronted publicly last year. Promoting her film birth of a nation. Should have plays a slave who is rad. She spoke out about the movie's director and star, Nate parker, after it came pout decades earlier as a college student, he had been accused and acquitted of sexual assault. Years later after struggling with depression, his accuser committed suicide. Nate parker telling this to robin Robert last year. I was falsely accused. I was proven innocent and I'm not going to apologize for that. I feel terribly about that situation. Instead of remaining silent, Gabrielle close to then he writing about the murkiness of consent and why education on this issue is so vital. There were those who criticized you for tacit approval and then there were others who said, you sabotaged this movie by speaking out. It was an impossible situation. I opted for as much education as possible. Letting people know that rape is the most underreported crime in the world. While also acknowledging as black men in the history of the United States, there has been a very well documented history of false accusation that's have led to murder. What kind of response did you get? Overwhelmingly, 90% positive. The 10% negative feeling like with faced with a choice between my blackness and my womanness, I didn't choose my blackness. The wider issue of sexual assault is a deeply personal one for Gabrielle, herself a survivor. Still dealing with the trauma being raped at gunpoint at the shoe store she worked at when she was 19. What happened was graphic and violent and life changing, life altering. The woman in that back room at Payless is dead. And I'm the Phoenix rose from the ashes. Describe the survival instinct at the moment as you grab a gun and try to shoot it at your assailant. It is like an out of body experience. That me on the ground that got raped, I did my best to try to kill him. I felt I was about to die. She is exposing new details in a new book, the sound of the gunshot reverberating in my ears. The smell of gunpowder filling the air and the realization that I missed. It was either him or me and it wasn't going to be me. Not on that day. And I just fought for my life. My heart is racing right now hearing you tell this story. What is it like to talk about it? To be so public? Nauseous every time. You say you didn't leave your house for a year unless you had to. Dwhi, I had to ma'am out my exact route. How to get where I needed to go and back in the shortest amount of time. And you write about the fact that women will see you and say me too. Yesterday this woman came up and said can I hug you? Immediately I knew. I could see the whole thing. You apologize more than any person I know. Gabrielle came of age on television. One of the few black women on seventh heaven and friends. Do you two know each other? No no. Later, the mean girl writer. She is now one half of a power couple. Miami heat star turned cavalier Dwyane wade. The confident and outspoken star didn't start out that way. Her new book we'll need more wine detailing some of the challenges she faced growing up in a mostly white suburb of California. One thing I was interested in, you being pretty for a black girl. That was my life. What was the message that was sending you? People who look like you are not the standard of beauty. But look ought sneaking in there. Like surprise! You were called very nasty names my family calls me Nicki. My middle name of Monique. I don't know if it was catchy. It is a theme that echos even now as she helps raise three step sons with Dwyane wade as they navige growing up black in America. You're supposed he to educate yourself out of racism. When uncle Lebron is on the biggest stage, what did his children wake up to? On his front gate. So as you try to preach the message of be the bigger person, turn the other cheek. What are we supposed to tell our children? Offscreen she struggles raising kids and a high profile career. And one can't help see the metaphors. I'm realizing, I think I might be enough. First of all, you play an empowered anchor person on TV. So much of it is struggle between the career and the man. People have felt that Mary Jane has put too. Emphasis on her love life. The audience is why can't she do it all? For Gabrielle, the open question recently revealing the couple's painful struggle with infertility. The failed struggles, the eight or nine miscarriages. Fertility isn't a curse for waiting too long. And that's what you get for waiting so long. What do you think when people say you would make beautiful babies? My ego is like, of course. It feels like pressure for something that hasn't happened and it is not for lack of time. How do you self care? Realistically, tequila and therapy. I can't sugar coat that. I wish I had better coping skills. That's where I'm at. The good news, you're not a real woman if you can't carry a baby or if you can't produce or if there's anything wrong with you, you're somehow less of a woman. Which is why she says breaking the silence that surrounds that shame matters so much. In malibu, California.

This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.

Now Playing: Meghan Markle's mom meets Prince Harry's immediate family for first time

Now Playing: How Diana, Kate and Meghan created their own unique fashion statements

Now Playing: Behind the big money-making business of royal wedding souvenirs and merchandise

Now Playing: Tracking the Amazon's rare pink dolphins

Now Playing: {{itm.title}}

{"id":50553069,"title":"Gabrielle Union opens up about experience as a rape survivor","duration":"8:36","description":"Actress and author spoke about her sexual assault story as well as life with NBA star Dwayne Wade and her struggle with multiple miscarriages.","url":"/Nightline/video/gabrielle-union-opens-experience-rape-survivor-50553069","section":"Nightline","mediaType":"default"}